Desertdawg Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Full story below. Take a guess before you read it. from avweb. When an airline needs to transport a spare engine to a 747 far away, it turns out the most efficient way to get the job done is to install a fifth engine on a healthy 747 and carry it there under the wing. It doesn’t happen often, but Qantas recently completed the feat, flying from Sydney to Johannesburg with an extra Rolls Royce engine weighing 6.6 tons. Pilots need special training to learn to fly straight and level with the extra weight and drag from the engine, the airline said. The airplane also burns more fuel, requiring an added stop in Perth to top off. Qantas said it first pioneered moving engines this way “at the dawn of the jet age,” with its 707 fleet, but it’s rarely done. The last time was in 2011. The flight took off on Jan. 6. The wing of the aircraft was fitted with anchor points, Qantas said, allowing a support strut to be attached under the wing. The strut has a winching mechanism, which is used to hoist the engine into place and secure it for flight. Once the airplane landed in Perth, the engine was removed and installed on the waiting 747. “Our engineers are very skilled at doing the job, given that the 747 has been an integral part of the Qantas fleet since the 1970s,” Qantas said. The extra engine that was removed in Perth will be shipped home by boat, a slower but cheaper journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extender32 Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Yep, its a tried and true method for some airlines. In the air force, we had cargo space to haul them internally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P51tj Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Tim Allens' Plane.... More Power! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insatiableOne Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 It is only a 6.6 ton Rolls Royce engine. Just add another to the other side and pick up some speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest badbobs95 Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 3 hours ago, insatiableOne said: It is only a 6.6 ton Rolls Royce engine. Just add another to the other side and pick up some speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now